Branding Strategy Insider

The Language of Branding: 'Brand Essence'

Brand Essence is the heart and soul of a brand – a brand’s fundamental nature or quality.  Usually stated in two to three words, a brand’s essence is the one constant across product categories and throughout the world. Some examples are “Nike: Authentic Athletic Performance,” “Hallmark: Caring Shared,” “Disney: Fun Family Entertainment or “Disneyworld, Magical Fun,” “Starbucks: Rewarding Everyday Moments,” “The Nature Conservancy: Saving Great Places.” (Typically, it is rare for an organization’s brand essence and slogan to be the same.  For instance, Nike’s essence – “authentic athletic performance” – was translated to the following two slogans: “Just do it!” and “I can.” But, “Saving Great Places” happens to be The Nature Conservancy’s brand essence and its slogan.)

Kevin Keller, brand expert and author of the popular brand book, Strategic Brand Management, coined the term “brand mantra,” which is very closely related to brand essence.  The “mantra” concept reinforces the role of brand essence in internal communication.  Kevin says, [brand mantra] should “define the category of business for the brand and set brand boundaries.  It should also clarify what is unique about the brand.  It should be memorable.  As a result it should be short, crisp and vivid in meaning.  Ideally, the brand mantra would also stake out ground that is personally meaningful and relevant to as many employees as possible.”

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Branding: The Power of Word of Mouth

In his book, Eating the Big Fish: How Challenger Brands Can Compete Against Brand Leaders, Adam Morgan indicates that people enthusiastically share information for one of four reasons: (1) bragging rights, (2) product enthusiasm, (3) aspirational identification or (4) news value.

Stories and anecdotes make a point real to people and imbed it in their memories. Brand stories and anecdotes can become legends. As they are told and retold, they can raise the brand to a mythological level. Stories are often told about consumer experiences that far exceed expectations. This could be the result of extraordinary customer service or some other incredible experience with the brand. Going out of your way as an organization to create these experiences will pay huge dividends – word-of-mouth marketing can not be underestimated. Ideally, you create experiences that reinforce your brand's point of difference.

For instance, a Hallmark card shop owner cared so much for one of her customers that when the customer could not find what she was looking for in the store, the owner drove several miles away to a few other Hallmark stores until she found what the customer was looking for. She hand delivered it to the customer's house that evening, at no charge, reinforcing Hallmark's essence of “caring shared.” Now that is the stuff of legends. Delivering this type of service, even occasionally, generates significant word-of-mouth brand advocacy.

Branding: Just Ask...

This branding question came to us from Rich in Seattle:

"Please describe the difference between brand essence and brand promise"

Rich, thanks for asking. We believe there are four critical elements to a well-positioned brand:

(1) target consumer, (2) brand essence, (3) brand promise and (4) brand personality. 

Here are the differences between the two you asked about...

The Brand Essence is a two to three word phrase (typically in the format “adjective adjective noun”) capturing the “heart and soul” of the brand.  The Brand Essence is simple, concise, aspirationally attainable, timeless, enduring and extendable.  Examples include “fun family entertainment” (Disney), “genuine athletic performance” (Nike), “saving great places” (The Nature Conservancy) and “caring shared” (Hallmark).  It is not a tagline or slogan, but rather the first thing an employee might say to quickly describe the brand to another in an elevator conversation (“This brand is all about…”).  While a brand’s positioning might differ slightly from country to country and while its advertising campaigns might change over time, like a person’s character, the brand’s essence will largely remain unchanged.

The Brand Promise is a sentence that communicates the one thing that the brand intends to own in the target consumer’s mind.  I prefer to express it in the following form: “Only (brand) delivers (unique benefit) to (target consumer).”  A brand promise must be understandable, believable, unique/differentiating, compelling, admirable and endearing.  The ideal benefit to claim in a brand promise has the following three qualities: (1) it is extremely important to the target consumer, (2) the brand’s organization is uniquely suited to delivering it and (3) competitors are not addressing it.  As an example, Harley-Davidson’s brand promise might read as follows: “Only Harley-Davidson delivers the fantasy of complete freedom on the road and the comradeship of kindred spirits to avid cyclists.”  The brand’s promise should drive everything an organization does and be manifest at each point of contact the brand makes with the consumer.

Have a branding related question? Just Ask...

Brand Management is More Than Logos, Taglines and Ad Campaigns

When I have joined organizations to head up their brand management or marketing functions, others in those organizations have often conveyed to me that my primary role must be one of the following:

• Advertising
• Naming
• Logo management
• Creating brochures
• "Air cover" for the sales force
• "Putting a pretty face on the product"

Having been immersed in brand management for such a long time and with the recent pervasive coverage of brand management in the general business press, it amazes me how many people still don't "get" what brand management is all about.

Strong Brands Require Vision

A brand is much more than a logo or an advertising campaign.  It is the manifestation of an organizational vision.  In my experience in working with organizations from Fortune 500 companies and Internet start-ups to universities and museums, the one ingredient that must be present for the organizational brand to be truly successful is a clearly articulated, strongly felt and universally embraced organizational mission and vision.  And that usually requires strong leadership at the top, and to even greater effect, throughout the organization.

That mission and vision is often based on powerful intuition or a strongly held conviction.  Frequently that intuition is informed by careful and detailed analysis.  Ideally, the mission and vision focus on a deep consumer need that the organization has unique abilities to meet.  That mission and vision should be strongly encoded in the organization's mission and vision statements and in the organizational brand's stated essence, promise and personality.

Characteristics of Successful Brand Champions

Chief brand champions will be more effective if they exhibit the following personal characteristics:

• Curious
• Well rounded
• Intuitive
• Visionary
• "Big picture" thinker
• Strong customer knowledge
• Strong business knowledge
• Assertive
• Disciplined
• Tenacious
• Resilient
• Passionate
• Able to simplify the complex
• Able to translate brand concepts into something relevant for non-marketers
• Story telling ability
• Teaching ability
• Likable personality

These qualities seem to imply three roles: (1) vision crafter, (2) teacher/evangelist and (3) standards enforcer.

The Strongest Brands

The strongest brands aren’t created with a logo or a tag line. They aren’t created with an advertising campaign. They aren’t even created with a product or service. They begin with a compelling vision—a vision whose foundation is deep customer insight. The insight may be informed by personal experience, in-depth research, active listening, intuition, or one or more of many other paths to customer intimacy.

The strongest brands strive to understand cultural context, underlying values, hopes, anxieties, fears and other motivations. They also strive to understand self image, icons that evoke strong memories and feelings and other emotional stimuli. The most progressive organizations find ways to experience relevant contexts and situations with their customers.

The strongest brands are authentic and stand for something. They possess integrity. That is, they are internally and externally consistent; they are who they say they are.

The strongest brands have a distinctive and consistent ‘voice’ and visual style. They weave compelling stories. And they strive to develop emotional connections to their intended customers.

The strongest brands transcend specific products, services and delivery vehicles. These brands are most closely associated with functional, emotional, experiential and self-expressive customer benefits. They exist to meet deeply felt human needs in unique and superior ways.

Is yours one of these brands? I hope that it is.